Tips From Nurses on Dealing With Burnout

Experts report that compassion fatigue, often referred to colloquially as “burnout,” can take a physical and mental toll on nurses, first responders, physicians, and other professionals who provide patient care or work in emergency situations. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, compassion fatigue consists of two major components: burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

A 2007 study reported that 35% of hospital nurses, 37% of nurses working in nursing homes, and 22% of nurses in other healthcare settings had a high degree of emotional exhaustion. If left untreated, the unfortunate side effects of nurse burnout can lead to poor job performance, medical mistakes on the job, high turnover rates, and even suicide.

In this guide, review tips from experienced nurses on how to recognize symptoms of nursing burnout, the causes of this phenomenon, and the precautions medical professionals can take to prevent burnout.

Nurses must first know the signs of burnout in order to prevent it. Nursing burnout can surface in many ways, but it is frequently related to a handful of symptoms, like fatigue, dreading going to work, feeling underappreciated, and being constantly overworked.

In many cases, burnout affects healthcare workers when their job physically and mentally demands too much of them for too long.

Other factors such as having to practice outside their scope or cover both support positions and registered nurse tasks can lead to higher numbers of burnout. It’s also important for nursing supervisors and hospital leadership to be able to identify signs of burnout in others, so they can support and accommodate staff as needed.

“Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system,” says Gerardi. “When they’re feeling overworked, physically and mentally exhausted, and not appreciated, it diminishes staff morale and can result in resignations and instability in the workplace.”

In addition to preventative actions taken by employers, supervisors, and managers, nurses need to take extra precautions on their own to avoid nursing burnout.

Practicing self-care and mindfulness is one of the best ways for nurses to prevent burnout. This includes regulating one’s shift schedule as much as possible and avoiding overloaded responsibilities whenever possible.

Experienced nurses encourage nursing professionals to build strong relationships with co-workers and others outside of work. Even though human resources departments, supervisors, and managers can serve as support systems in high-stress times, our nursing contributors suggest that nursing professionals should also build a supplemental support system.

In this section, experienced nurses offer their best tips for nurse burnout prevention.

The increasingly problematic nursing shortage in the U.S. negatively affects nursing professionals across the country. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, insufficient staffing causes greater levels of stress and dissatisfaction for nurses today.

Even before nursing stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 75% of nurses surveyed in 2005 reported that nursing shortages led to increased stress levels among nurses, decreased the quality of patient care nurses provided, and drove many workers to leave the profession.

Nursing and other healthcare professions are greatly affected by the steadily retiring baby boomer generation. In fact, an estimated one million RNs will retire by 2030. Furthermore, nursing schools across the country have been unable to expand their capacity to meet this rising demand for RNs.

“The nursing shortage will increase the rate of burnout in our hospitals,” Trofino says. “With a shortage, many nurses are asked to work longer or double shifts. Exhaustion is a factor in burnout. Overworking leads to job dissatisfaction.”

Sims echoes these points with her personal experiences, adding that “when you’re surrounded by other nurses that are unhappy about working extra hours, it’s harder for you to … enjoy the career you’ve chosen.”

“It’s also easier to feel burnout when your hospital is already understaffed and nurses continue to turn in their letter of resignation,” she says. “You know that you’ll be picking up the extra work because nurses are leaving faster than they’re being hired.”

According to our research and information from our experts, nurse burnout can occur across specialty areas but disproportionately affects nurses working in oncology and emergency care roles.

“All nurses are susceptible to feeling burnout, as is any professional who is experiencing longer work hours and a lack of workplace support,” Gerardi says.

There are, in Gerardi’s opinion, work environments and nursing specialty areas that are prone to causing or experiencing nurse burnout.

“Oncology, critical care, and ICU nurses tend to report the most cases of burnout due to the high-pressure environment of these specialties,” she says.

Trofino also notes that emergency room nurses experience frequent high levels of stress and appear to experience nurse burnout more frequently than healthcare professionals in different speciality areas.

Most major healthcare centers offer Employee Assistance Programs for free or at a low cost. This would include therapy, referrals to a psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist — all to help with workplace issues/burnout.

Various online and in-person resources can help healthcare workers prevent or recover from burnout. While not available in all healthcare facilities, Sims urges nurses to seek out staff therapists. Sims also encourages nurses to talk with administrators to advocate for more flexibility in nursing schedules, further mental health support, and days off for self-care. Trofino suggests that nurses consult sites such as:

Additionally, nurses can find assistance with burnout and general well-being through a program launched by the NAM. The Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience helps increase visibility of healthcare worker burnout, stress, depression, and suicide.

The collaborative of more than 200 organizations also strives for “evidence-based, multidisciplinary solutions to improve patient care by caring for the caregiver.” Members of this group gain access to the organization’s information hub, evidence-based research papers, and online self-care and professional development resources.

Page last reviewed December 29, 2022